363rd TRS Airman earns ACE

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Robert L. McIlrath
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  

Through dedication and drive, an F-16 armament apprentice course student here achieved the ACE award Dec. 19, 2017.

 

The ACE award, given for maintaining a 100-percent average throughout each block test, was earned by Airman 1st Class Haley Handlang, a 363rd Training Squadron graduate.

 

Instructor supervisor Tech. Sgt. Hassahn Wade said scoring perfect through the 12 block course is not a common feat.

 

“Some of the civilians have been here for 10 years and they’ve only seen this happen once before,” he said. “We have students that come down from fundamentals with four 100s, but they never score perfect through blocks five through 12.”

 

Handlang gives her instructor all the credit for her success in the course.

 

“He took time to answer every question we had and was patient with us,” she said. “He wanted us all to succeed.”

 

For Handlang, achieving perfection wasn’t even a thought for her at first.

 

“I studied for all my tests and just happened to keep getting perfect scores,” she said. “So I thought I’d just go ahead and try to complete the course the same way I started it.”

 

Aside from being flawless academically, another thing that set Handlang apart from her peers was her selflessness and leadership ability.

 

“She could have easily been selfish and just studied on her own but she encouraged her classmates to study harder,” Wade said. “Even with the hands-on-tasks, she was always reading the technical order properly and giving pointers to other students.”

 

Handlang looks forward to applying her newly learned technical skill at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.